An interesting aspect of vehicle testing is the transmission of measurement data and system configurations over long distances.
µ MUSYCS based data logger applications, available through Applied Measurement Australia , are in use in a range of Volvo test trucks worldwide. That every truck can be controlled and observed from Gothenburg, Volvo Truck's headquarters is a key feature of the data acquisition equipment.
The first element of the application is a µ-MUSYCS data acquisition unit that works as a stand-alone data logger inside the truck. The data logging system is used to measure analog data and to collect CAN-bus information as well as J1587-bus messages. This bus information needs to be acquired in absolute syn-chronisation with the analog data.
µ-MUSYCS is able to reduce and consolidate the measured data due to its online capabilities. Online calculations, such as class-counting (LDC), order-tracking or other data reduction procedures, decrease data bulk to the bare essentials. The data logging system can always be connected from outside the truck and is equipped with a satellite telephone interface. This enables the download of data or upload of new configurations.
An Intranet-based PC program is the second element of the data acquisition application. It allows the user to access information regarding a number of trucks directly from the Volvo Truck data server. In addition to this offline procedure, the user of the PC application can be connected directly to the truck. The program is able to display and verify online data such as the current position, speed, RPM, torque and fuel consumption.
The most advantageous part of the entire data acquisition system is that data files, results of online calculations or status reports can be downloaded directly from the truck. After a data evaluation in Gothenburg, the driver inside the truck can be informed directly and engineers can request the driver to perform special tests or to drive on specific or special roads. Before the truck reaches its garage the data is already there, thanks to the data transfer rate of 1MBit.
Volvo Truck uses FAMOS, imc's off-line data analysis and evaluation tool to evaluate data offline. With the help of FAMOS, different data-formats can be handled; they can be loaded-in, displayed and results of data-calculation and evaluations can be reported.
With over 400 different functions and interplay with the CANSAS-PRO application, FAMOS provides every development engineer with the performance needed on their way to achieving results quickly and accurately.